1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with an emulsion, a method of preparing the same and its use, and in particular an emulsion comprising a gelled outer phase having an active ingredient dispersed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Encapsulation of active ingredients in gels, such as gellan gum, is well known. For example, JP 62125850 discloses encapsulation of ingredients, such as food, oils, medicines and the like, within beads of gellan gum. In an example, a salad oil emulsion was added as 0.5 ml size drops to a 1% gellan gum solution. The resulting beads had a 0.35 mm thick skin and contained 0.3 ml of oil in each sphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,366 discloses a gelled food product which comprises a matrix containing at least one dispersed food ingredient which comprises vegetable, fruit, meat, fish, sugar, and/or milk.
GB2219803 discloses a gelling composition which comprises a blend of gellan, kappa-carrageenan and mannan. The gelling composition is useful as a gelling matrix in food products such as pet foods and the like.
JP 63267361 discloses a gel which can contain fragrances, microbicides, insecticides, and the like, in addition to a gelation agent selected from gellan gum, and its combination with carrageenan, gelatin, agar, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like.
Incorporation of certain active ingredients in gel matrices comprising anionic hydrocolloids, such as gellan gum, has however proved to be problematic due to the incompatibility of the active ingredients with the gels causing degredation or precipitation of the latter.
This incompatibility can be seen, for example, when aluminium chlorohydrate is blended with gellan gum in an attempt to prepare an antiperspirant, whereby undesirable precipitation of the gellan gum occurs. Similarly, the incompatibility of other cationic ingredients, such as cationic drugs (verapamil hydrochloride, chloropheniramine maleate and the like) and cationic surfactants (such as benzalkonium chlorides and the like) with the above-mentioned anionic gel matrices has proven to be problematic.